build upon one another

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "build upon one another" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase to describe when two or more ideas, concepts, or projects are connected and each one is based on the one before it. For example, "The children's toy designs began to build upon one another until they eventually created a complete game concept."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Academia

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

24 human-written examples

Pentti Malaska, a Finnish Futures Researcher, based his theory of societal change on the idea that societal forms build upon one another as a succession of needs that remain unfulfilled by the previous stage of development.

European Journal of Futures Research

Only then can the students' learning be maximized during in-class time because the topics covered often build upon one another incrementally and course examinations are heavily dependent on higher order thinking and reasoning skills.

BMC Medical Education

Coral are tiny animals with living tissue that cling to and build upon one another to form "apartments," or reefs.

Cornell University

As a result, studies do not build upon one another, making it difficult to gauge the progress being made in addressing the fundamental research questions related to CV.

Research Policy

This implies a significant upfront faculty investment, including carefully designing the syllabus and structuring the weekly exercises, so that they build upon one another.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Since the monographs build upon one another, the writers of these monographic studies usually presume that readers will have read the earlier books on the same subject; that is, that they will possess some prior specialized knowledge that will enable them to participate in the conversations and debates that historians have among themselves.

The Washington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

36 human-written examples

Newcomers to the field will easily dive in and active researchers will be able to speak the same language and build upon one anothers works more efficiently by adopting the presented guidelines.

AEU - International Journal of Electronics and Communications

These essentials built upon one another and had a noticeable effect.

Forbes

Each one of these evening-long debates built upon one another, as Lincoln and Douglas traveled from town-to-town.

TechCrunch

The levels were designed so that physics concepts built upon one another and gradually introduced the student to new ideas and ways of interacting with the game world.

International Journal of STEM Education

They built upon one another, culminating in as satisfying a season finale as I can recall watching for any show.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use the phrase "build upon one another" to clearly indicate that elements are not just related, but that each one relies on and extends the previous one in a sequence or system.

Common error

Don't use "build upon one another" when simply indicating a connection or similarity. Reserve it for contexts where the sequence and dependence are crucial to the meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "build upon one another" functions primarily as a verb phrase indicating a process of sequential development or mutual reinforcement. It implies that elements are not merely related but actively contribute to and extend each other. Ludwig AI confirms this through examples demonstrating its use in various academic and professional contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "build upon one another" is a verb phrase that indicates a sequential and interdependent relationship between elements. It is grammatically correct and commonly used in academic, scientific, news, and media contexts. Ludwig AI has provided numerous examples that highlight its prevalence in formal writing and its function of emphasizing the interconnected and progressive nature of development. While "build upon one another" is widely accepted, be mindful to avoid redundancy and reserve its use for instances where sequence and dependence are central to the meaning. Remember to consider alternative phrases like "mutually reinforce" or "progressively develop" to add nuance to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

expand on each other

Focuses on the idea of growth and increasing detail between elements.

mutually reinforce

Emphasizes the strengthening effect that elements have on each other.

progressively develop

Highlights the step-by-step nature of advancement.

incrementally advance

Similar to progressively develop, but stresses small, gradual steps.

interdependently evolve

Suggests a co-evolution where elements are reliant on each other's changes.

collectively improve

Highlights the joint effort towards betterment.

sequentially unfold

Presents the idea of a staged revelation or development.

harmoniously integrate

Implies a smooth and balanced combination of elements.

systematically accrete

Suggests a structured and cumulative growth process.

correlatively advance

Denotes an interdependent forward movement.

FAQs

How can I use "build upon one another" in a sentence?

Use "build upon one another" to describe how steps in a process, or ideas in an argument, connect and depend on each other. For example, "The lessons in this course are designed to build upon one another, so it's important to attend each session."

What's the difference between "build on" and "build upon one another"?

"Build on" generally means to expand or develop something further. "Build upon one another" specifically indicates a mutual and sequential relationship, where each element enhances the others in a linked fashion.

What are some alternatives to "build upon one another"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "mutually reinforce", "expand on each other", or "progressively develop".

Is it ever incorrect to use "build upon one another"?

While grammatically sound, "build upon one another" is not suitable if elements are simply related without a sequential or dependent relationship. In such cases, consider a simpler phrase like "are connected" or "relate to each other".